Case in Point
Last night I wrote that, to be tough, Gov. Huntsman will need to adhere to his campaign promises (conservative promises) in the face of a hostile media that will call him retrograde for doing so. Well, here we go. Today, the Tribune puts the ball in play by stating that conservatives are stupid and, then, praising Huntsman for sounding like he's not a conservative:
Perhaps Huntsman was answering critics who underestimate him, paint him as a lightweight or tweak him for his platinum pedigree. But really, when was the last time you heard a conservative call for big change? The root of the word - conserve - means to save, to preserve, to cling to established traditions, institutions and to resist any changes to them. So here is Huntsman, a Utah Republican who, if we can believe his inaugural comments, just may reach out to the folks standing outside the tent. He might actually remind us that moderation and Republicanism can coexist.
So what will be the predictable media reaction, if he does stick with the conservative traditions he campaigned on? Negative, of course. So, we'll see who wins in the battle -- media calling for significant change (enlightenment!) or the voters who chose conservative principles. Is it tough to go along with or against the media outlets?
And, by the way, to answer the question of the last time we heard a conservative call for big change, let's look at education. Public education is, far and away, the greatest expense and undertaking of state government. Which party called for charter schools, a greater focus on the core curriculum, accountability standards, tuition tax credits, alternative licensing standards for teachers and superintendents, negotiating outside the collective bargaining contract, and increased teacher-planning days (like is going on in the Washington County School District)?
R-E-P-U-B-L-I-C-A-N-S.
Other than calling for an increase in people's property tax and taking budget money from Medicaid and law enforcement, I'm not able to readily recall any change proposed by Democrats for public education. So, in our biggest and most important budget item, who is working to "save, to preserve, to cling to established traditions, institutions and to resist any changes to them?" Hint: it's that enlightened, progressive group.
Perhaps Huntsman was answering critics who underestimate him, paint him as a lightweight or tweak him for his platinum pedigree. But really, when was the last time you heard a conservative call for big change? The root of the word - conserve - means to save, to preserve, to cling to established traditions, institutions and to resist any changes to them. So here is Huntsman, a Utah Republican who, if we can believe his inaugural comments, just may reach out to the folks standing outside the tent. He might actually remind us that moderation and Republicanism can coexist.
So what will be the predictable media reaction, if he does stick with the conservative traditions he campaigned on? Negative, of course. So, we'll see who wins in the battle -- media calling for significant change (enlightenment!) or the voters who chose conservative principles. Is it tough to go along with or against the media outlets?
And, by the way, to answer the question of the last time we heard a conservative call for big change, let's look at education. Public education is, far and away, the greatest expense and undertaking of state government. Which party called for charter schools, a greater focus on the core curriculum, accountability standards, tuition tax credits, alternative licensing standards for teachers and superintendents, negotiating outside the collective bargaining contract, and increased teacher-planning days (like is going on in the Washington County School District)?
R-E-P-U-B-L-I-C-A-N-S.
Other than calling for an increase in people's property tax and taking budget money from Medicaid and law enforcement, I'm not able to readily recall any change proposed by Democrats for public education. So, in our biggest and most important budget item, who is working to "save, to preserve, to cling to established traditions, institutions and to resist any changes to them?" Hint: it's that enlightened, progressive group.
Subscribe
0 Comments:
<< Home